I enjoyed the Thief Lord very much. I enjoyed the Magic Treehouse, but the Thief Lord presented a more in depth look at the genre of fictional fantasy. I loved the character Prosper. I sensed that the character was trying to cope with the fact that Aunt Esther was refusing to take him by looking to the city of Venice for comfort. I particularly liked the passage "he wasn't homesick-he hadn't been for a long time, not even at night. This was home now. The city had welcomed Bo and him like a great, gentle animal. It had hidden them in its winding alleys and had enchanted them with its exotic sounds and strange smell. It had even provided them with friends. Prosper didn't ever want to leave again. Never. He had grown so used to hearing water smack and slurp against wood and stone." (9. Everybody is Small at Night, pg 63). This passage struck me as very interesting because I could almost feel the pain in Prosper's heart. Venice was comfort, but an animal still the same I interpreted. I could tell that Prosper was trying to stay strong for Bo, but Prosper was still a child and living under the Thief Lord far from a perfect childhood. Children should be nurtured, loved, and even spoiled. The story of this unlikely childhood brings tears to my eyes when I think of my niece and nephew. I would never want them to endure conditions such as these and have to cope with feelings of such strong pain, frustration, and fear. Although the book is fantasy, the children are pitiful, and the feelings expressed by the characters are often felt by the readers. I feel that this book is an excellent example of extraordinary literature.